The Witches are Not Dead.

We’ve all been young, curious, and reckless. In a world where that is not accepted, punishments rain down on Xar, the only boy with those attributes. He is a leader, but has broken nearly, if not all, rules in the Wizard kingdom. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell, the internationally bestselling author of How to Train Your Dragon, follows this boy and his trek to ultimately use his unique character to save the world from the witches.

No one believed Xar when he claimed that the witches were back. The witches that wreaked havoc on the land were killed off years ago. But Xar knew that something had brought them back and for the first time in his life, the boy was scared. Xar was the son of the great Wizard leader, but, as if being reckless and curious was not enough, he was unable to do magic, making him a disappointment and an embarrassment to the Wizard kingdom. Xar often escaped and broke the rules with his friends and today was one of the most important escapades of his young life; today he was going to catch a witch! He was going to prove once and for all to his father that he was not a failure, but someone to be proud of.

The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell is one of the most enthralling and action packed children's books I have ever read. Adding to that, it has skillfully drawn illustrations depicting the important scenes every few pages. I believe I stared at the wolf illustration for an entire minute before pulling myself away to find out what happened next. The Wizards of Once, though it is a children’s book, can be read by any age with the same outcome- awe at how well written and captivating the book was. The story inspires kids to be curious and creative and to choose their own destiny while incorporating in a bit of fun magic. The book had a miniature Spelling Book inside the front cover, a book that Wizards use to cast their spells. With it, readers have the chance to create their own spells and learn more about the ones that the characters used. It is a relatively short and quick read that is packed full of illustrations and information about the creatures and the magic in this fantasy world.

This witty story is a must-read for everyone with a bit of time on their hands.